


The Children of the Storms

by Joanne0Vecen



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aang is a sweet summer child who deserves better, Aang is a sweet summer child who needs parents and not girlfriends, Azula has a heart, Azula is not normal, Azula is trying her best, Badass Katara (Avatar), Badass Suki (Avatar), Blood and Gore, Canon barely exists here, Character Death, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Dark, Death, Dragon Azula (Avatar), Dragon Zuko (Avatar), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Harm to Children, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Katara (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Original Character(s), Platonic Relationships, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Azula (Avatar), Protective Sokka (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Spirits, Trauma, Triggers, Wolf Sokka (Avatar), Zuko and Azula are siblings, Zuko is trying his best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:07:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29016324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Joanne0Vecen/pseuds/Joanne0Vecen
Summary: Three Balance Keepers to hold the world together by its seams until the World Spirit awakens. After the Avatar returns their lives get harder.
Relationships: Azula & Mai (Avatar), Azula & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Yue & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	1. The Storm Children and the Eye of the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Avatar The Last Airbender universe.
> 
> Blanket warning about triggers, this fic is going to have a large amount of them. I will try my hardest to warn of each potential trigger in the notes before the chapter they will be in but I might not catch some. 
> 
> Triggers in this chapter are problems with childbirth specifically the babies are having trouble surviving. If this hits too close to home please don't read.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Storm children and the eye of their storm are born two weeks too early and all with water in their lungs.

The Great Spirits watch in horror as three of their children fight for their lives two weeks too early. It was the night of the Winter Solstice and although a good thing for Water Tribe babies, it was the worst for Fire nation ones. Each child was born at exactly the strike of midnight and each had water in their lungs. There was no time to waste, no time to think, no time to do anything except move. Two of the babies were closer to passing over than the third and so they focused solely on them. 

Tempestas, the forgotten wind, split in two, their male side rushing South to the Ice Storm. "She" stayed here and focused on the child before her. Fire Storm was in a room without a fire so "She" had to get creative and loud. "She" forced the windows open and whisked the child as gently as possible into La's grasp.

Meanwhile "He" was in the South where Ice Storm was. It was a warm little home with two loving parents that were desperately praying for their child. The boy needed air and for his Heart Fire to be rekindled, with La and Tui's permission Agni and "He" worked together to remove the water from the child's lungs, as he coughed up the water his mother cried out. She moved so the water was easier to remove, then they gasped as a small flake of fire was urged into the child no one in the tent dared to move. Then life filled the baby and he started to scream. He was healthy and would live. 

"Tui and La...Is he going to be a fire bender?" The father breathed out in fear, earning a weakened smack from the mother. "He" debated for a second before deciding it was best to leave, let them discover for themselves whether he is a bender or not. 

"She" watched as the woman carefully dried her screaming child off. The Fire Sages filed in, hearing the baby cry. "He" and "She" Combined and Tempestas stood there before joining the storm again. The children would live. Tui had saved the Eye of the Storm in the north. All three would aid in restoring balance. 

Tempestas, Agni, La, and Tui watched as the Storms and the Eye aged through the years. The Fire Storm had it tough, his spark was currently weak as he had grown the closest to drowning. Right now Agni and Tempestas worked slowly, feeding his Heart Fire slowly to ensure that he would not suffer from the heat within. He will be the strongest bender but his father doesn't understand, doesn't see him for what he is, a storm.

Their Ice storm and Eye of the Storm fared better. Loved by both of their parents. Though the one who fared the best so far was Ice Storm. He was not shunned despite the fear his father held in those moments that Tempestas saw. Instead they embraced him, cared for him, the others in the village did too. Even though all of them knew the possibility, they all saw Ice Storm as he was, an innocent baby saved by a Great Spirit.


	2. FireStorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko was four when his sister was born. She was born on the blessed day of the Summer Solstice and in the direct light of Agni. The Fire Sages swore it was a good sign.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this Chapter should be the last chapter that a baby comes near death. So please take caution if these kinds of things hit too close to home. 
> 
> In fact this fic is going to be grim. So like blanket warning this entire thing is a minefield of triggers and I will try to keep up with adding specific warnings in the notes before the chapters

Zuko had waited patiently and quietly for his little sister to be born. He was perched on the roof, not looking in while his mother was screaming. Teru assured him that she was fine. She was strong and his sister would be stronger. He hoped she would be stronger than him. He was already four and yet he still couldn’t call his fire out. He could pull sunlight to him though, and yet he was reluctant to let anyone know that. Teru was the only one out here with him. Kelsaang said he hated births, never had to deal with them while he was alive and all that as a Temple Air Bender. They had this weird rule system seeped in pacifism that left Zuko confused. None of that mattered though since his mother stopped screaming. Soon new screams filled the air and Zuko felt the way the sunlight, Agni's light, washed over Azula.

When he entered the room, he had climbed inside a nearby window and snuck back out here, his mother was softly singing to his new sister. He made sure he was heard as he drew closer and entered the room.

"Zuko, come meet your little sister." He listened, drawing closer, "Her name is Azula." He smiled excitedly saying that she was so small, Kelsaang was next to him, oddly silent, Zuko knew why. 

"She's going to be a powerful fire bender, isn't she mom?" He asked smiling and hopeful, he hoped with everything in him that she would be. His mother gave him a strained smile but agreed with him. That night he was allowed to sleep in the room, and for that he would always be grateful. 

Kelsaang woke him up, fear colored his voice as he said,

"She stopped breathing!" Zuko didn't need to ask who, he immediately grabbed Azula from his mother's arms startling her awake, "Her lungs stopped working, there's nothing wrong with them!" He gave Kelsaang a look. "You need to breathe for her." Kelsaang added and then taught Zuko how to do just that. The fire and torches were lit as his mother screamed but Zuko ignored everything but breathing for Azula.

It is really hard to breathe for someone when you are not an air bender, especially because you have to be careful to not breathe air that is too hot. Screaming was in the background but Kelsaang assured him that the Fire Sages were not going to interrupt him until it was safe to move her. 

\--

Fire Sage Baara had seen many things that surprised him, but nothing prepared him for the sight that met him once he entered Lady Ursa's bedchambers. He and the other four sages froze as they saw Prince Zuko, he was on his knees Princess Azula lay still in front of him as he bent heated air into her lungs. In any other situation he would be content to stand there and watch but Lady Ursa was screaming. So he and the other sages would need to calm her down. Princess Azula and Prince Zuko were in no danger anymore.

"Lady Ursa please calm down. Your son needs silence to concentrate. The fire bending technique he is using requires delicacy and speed." He told her and she listened, quieting and looking at her children with fear in her eyes.

"He's fire bending?" She asked. He stared at her in shock for a few minutes, he wondered if she was screaming so much because she thought her son was air bending, he nearly scoffed at the thought, The Four Winds would never bless a fire nation baby with their gift, not after the massacre. Before he could answer her, or question her, Sage Mo chose to reply.

"Of course he is, Lady Ursa. The fires would not heat the room this fast and this quickly." It was then that she started screaming again, worried for Princess Azula's lungs and calling for a healer. Sage Baara shook his head sadly. He looked back over to the prince, marveling in the mastery of the art. The technique was originally an air bending one and was ultimately banned from all but the Fire Sages after the war began. Watching him now Baara was absolutely certain a spirit blessed him, he would not have known how to breathe for Princess Azula otherwise.

When the healer came Baara sighed and knew that he would have to help the boy move his sister so the old man could check her over and make sure her lungs did not burn. He highly doubted that they did, in fact Princess Azula looked far healthier now than she did at birth and that was saying something! Slowly he made his way over to the young prince to quietly tell him not to panic. He was again impressed by the boy's steady control. He then focused on the task at hand.

\--

"Prince Zuko?" One said quietly, Zuko barely moved in acknowledgement, "I need your help to move her, we need to get her high enough that the healer can look at her." He was calm and gentle and soon a faceless air bender ghost was giving him tips on how to keep breathing for Azula and moving. 

"Her lungs are becoming stronger," The healer said after an unknown amount of time, but was clearly upset with him. "She needs a master to breath for her. If he fails..." He trailed off, Zuko seriously hated this healer, he was clearly trying to kill Azula and then him, because if Zuko stopped before she could breath on her own she would die. Then he'd be killed for killing her when he was trying to save her. None of this frustration showed on his face though, to them he was perfectly focused on keeping his little sister alive.

"At least we know that he is a fire bender." One Sage muttered quietly before everything fell quiet again. When Agni rose and his light reached them it followed his breaths into Azula's lungs and she woke up, soon Kelsaang told him it was safe to stop and he did. Mother swooped in picking her up and cried when Azula giggled. Thoroughly exhausted Zuko watched numbly as his mother set Azula back into his arms. Then she turned and yelled thousands of things. The only thing rooting him to reality was Kelsaang singing. When his mother was finally done she sent them away. 

"Zuko?" He looked up at her concerned eyes, "Zuko, Oh my dear child I'm so sorry." She hugged him, mindful of Azula.

Everything from there continued on as if that huge event didn't happen. No one ever talked about it, his father, uncle, and grandfather never learned what happened either. The healer was politely sent away after the fire sages swore him to silence. Whatever they saw that day, it made them wary to cross paths with Zuko. Everything else stayed the same. He and Azula grew and she became a fire bender at the age of three.

A year later Kelsaang told him that Azula could hear the spirits that haunted the palace. Her room was mainly in the problem area, the more malicious spirits were tied to that corridor. Zuko immediately went to his mother. He told her that he wanted a room closer to Azula's.

"I'm right next door to her honey, nothing will happen to her." She told him holding him close, he barely held his tongue about how Azula was in her arms when she stopped breathing. That would be counterproductive. He had already tried to tell her how he saw the spirits when he was younger but his mother put a stop to that, telling him that it wasn't a very nice game. He tried a few more times but each time she shut his argument down, acting like this wasn't serious when it was! 

"I breathed for her!" He finally snapped, his mother froze, and it was just his luck that Uncle and Lu Ten walked into the gardens. He struggled out of her arms and felt tears in his eyes, "I breathed for her and she's so far away now!" With that he ran. He hated his emotions sometimes, how they bubbled and then exploded out of him no matter how hard he tried to keep them contained. La-La was better at it. As he ran he didn't notice who he passed but the others did, they softly urged him to change his direction until he was standing in front of Azula and her new friend, Mai. 

"ZuZu? Is something wrong with mother?" Azula asked, Zuko shook his head, 

"She's fine, she doesn't understand Zuko sometimes." Kelsaang said, "Zuko, well, I told him you can hear me and the others and the area of the castle that your room is in? That's where all the worst voices are, so Zuko tried to get your mother to move your or his room." Azula was quiet but through his tears he saw Azula's eyes and he saw the moment she understood.

"Mother waved off your concerns didn't she?" He nodded and she returned it, "Well keep it down, I'm playing with Mai." She went back to Mai and the two went back to playing. He didn't have to but he quieted his sobs down and watched them until the burning in the back of his throat faded. The two were playing a hunting game. Both took turns hunting each other, like hide and seek just more deadly. 

"It won't be a real game of Hunt and Dodge if you don't use projectiles." He called across the courtyard to them. Both froze and looked at him, and then Mai smiled, Azula did too. The results were a battle between fire and steel that made Kelsaang hide and Ahito laugh. Zuko caught Ahito's eye and smirked as he quietly got up, her resulting laugh drew Kelsaang out of hiding as he semi hid and watched. He caught one of Mai's daggers and pinned Azula's shirt to a tree with it, then he caught two more and pinned Mai's sleeves against the wall. Calmly he said,

"I win." 

"No Fair!" They both cried out, and he smiled more, "you weren't even playing!" 

"Wasn't I? You two were too focused on each other and not your surroundings. All I had to do was walk over here and grab three daggers." He told them, smiling as they fumed. Azula was trying, and failing, to pull the knife out of the tree. "It's hooked, La-La." She froze, blinked, then tried to pull it out again and was rewarded. Mai silently fumed on the side. "I'll buy you a new dress." He told her and watched as she ripped her sleeves so she could move again. He smiled and asked if they wanted to try again. In the end Azula won once, Mai twice, and Zuko four times. 

"Impressive guerilla war training." Ahito said as she circled around the courtyard and then started to give him and Azula tips on what to do next, and what not to do. As she did, the three of them were semi cleaning up with Mai's sleeve and the stream water that flowed through the Caldera palace. The water was always warm and it naturally filtered out so it was clean as they washed the dirt and sweat off their faces, arms, and hands.

"Your Mother, uncle, and Lu Ten are approaching." Kelsaang warned and both Azula and Zuko tensed and met each other's eyes. Casually they got up and stretched, Mai following shortly after, pocketing her sleeve. When mother entered she watched with hidden emotions as they picked up the daggers and the throwing knives. A frown formed on her face,

"Ursa?" Zuko heard his uncle ask as she walked across the courtyard towards Azula, taking the knives away she told Azula that they had sewing lessons to get to. Zuko carefully asked,

"Mom?" 

"Oh Zuko, help clean up the knives, you know your sister is too young to learn to fight with them!" His mother scolded and Zuko just blinked. A calm descended upon him and he heard Kelsaang "eep" as he jumped in between him and his mother.

"Little Dragon Lord hears these words, there's no danger anymore. Little Dragon Lord hear my plea, Come back and talk with me." By the time Zuko registered anything but Kelsaang and his words his mother and Azula were gone, Mai and Lu Ten had subtly left and Uncle was kneeling near him, a frown on his face.

"Nephew?" 

"I need to speak to the sages." He barely managed to grit out before he was gone, following Ahito to the temple. He vaguely felt his uncle follow but he didn't acknowledge anything. The Fire Sages seemed to be waiting for him, they bowed to him and Iroh and then one stepped forward.

"Prince Zuko, We have been expecting you. Please follow me while the others talk with crown prince Iroh." Zuko did.

They entered a small room with a few benches and Zuko sat down, the Fire Sage seemed to be collecting himself. Kelsaang and the others couldn't follow Zuko in here, it was a sacred place that other spirits could not invade, he made a mental note to remind Azula of that, whenever she needed silence. 

"We are all aware that you breathed for Azula until she was strong enough to breathe on her own. Effectively you kept her alive until she herself had the strength to truly live. In that way you are." He paused and then sighed sitting down in front of him, "You did a very ancient and powerful bending technique that has affected you and Azula spiritually. When you breathed for her you mingled your Heart Fire's together, then you breathed for both of you until hers grew strong and then you kept it until her lungs learned to pull in air like you do. Masters know how to keep the two Heart Fires separate but you, you didn't and therefore you and she are sharing the same mixture of Heart Fire, two halves inside you both that will be warring to take control and so the two of you have to master either how to balance or how to consume." He told Zuko. He took a breath, "I shall let Ursa know that the two of you are too far apart, I am unsure what other side effects happened but I do know this. Neither of you can learn balance when you don't spend time getting to know each other. Your sister is many things and so are you, neither of you share the same emotions about the same things and..." He paused again then said, "I am unsure of a lot of things in this situation, but I do know this, you may be her older sibling but from what I've heard in the fires, you are truly the only one with any motherly feelings regarding her." With that he led Zuko back to the main room.

Zuko could not read his uncle, he didn't know if the man was troubled or not. As they walked back down to the palace Zuko resisted the urge to tell him what happened. Day was drawing to an end, the sky was painted a brilliant red and gold and the wind blew softly. It was beautiful and peaceful and yet, Zuko wished for it to storm. Before they reached the bottom of the mountain the temple resided on his uncle finally spoke,

"You breathed for Azula, when?" 

"When she was just born. It had only been a few hours after dark when I woke up and she wasn't breathing. I breathed for her until she could breath on her own." His uncle had frozen, turning towards him a look of utter surprise on his face, 

"She stopped breathing so soon after birth?" He nodded but uncle was no longer paying attention to him, he looked grim and happy, then grim and nervous, then cautiously hopeful. He patted Zuko's head and continued walking, "Well I'm glad you were there then." He said happily. Zuko just hummed. He was curious about what uncle was thinking and so he decided to have someone listen in and read what he writes. His quarters are mainly in her part of the castle. 

Once they reached his mother, uncle quickly retired to his room, Zuko made eye contact with Teru and then looked at his uncle’s retreating form. Looking back at Teru he got a fond smile and nod as she floated after his uncle. Afterwards he followed his mother to dinner. It was a quiet event even though his father questioned their progress with their bending. When Zuko said that he still hadn't made progress in calling his own flame his father sneered. 

"A non-bender for a first born, the sages should have let me throw you off the tower." Zuko debated with himself for a moment before he curled in on himself. It wasn't that he was a non-bender, he told his father exactly what he had meant. He just can't summon his own flame yet, manipulating other flames? That was a simple thing to do. Putting flames out? Way harder but he could still do it, wrest fire away from another's control? So far only Azula has managed to keep hers under her own control. He has not, and never will, attempt to wrestle control of fire away from his father or grandfather.

"Prince Ozai..." His mother pleaded but Azula interrupted,

"Father, Zuko was at the temple today." Her words immediately stopped the argument that was about to start and Zuko breathed a silent breath of relief, promising himself to make sure mother doesn't have time to lecture Azula later. Then he almost cursed because he didn't Want to tell anyone but Azula why he was there earlier.

"I was...talking."

"About what?" His father practically snarled. Zuko froze up, Kelsaang, thankfully, must have known that this would happen and tapped twice on his shoulder, Zuko barely moved, straightening his back and putting on his best 'I can't lie and so I have to tell the truth' face, this was Kelsaang's permission as he seamlessly possessed Zuko's body and said,

"Azula's birthday is coming, I want to make something special for her and I needed permission from the Fire Sages to use the items I found." Kelsaang then seamlessly left his body and Zuko came back in control. His father's eyes were narrowed at him but with a soft scoff he ended the conversation with,

"Azula whatever garbage this boy makes you, burn it." Zuko felt a sharp pain in his chest when Azula eagerly nodded, his mother gasped loudly and then she and father were fighting. 

Zuko and Azula took that opportunity to leave.

"Don't worry Dum-Dum, make me two gifts, one a fake so I can please father, and the other I'll treasure." Zuko nodded and then invited her to play Hunt and Dodge. He'll figure out what to do about her presents later, for now he wanted to make her laugh and he wanted to laugh too.


	3. Zuko Gains a New Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko, with Kelsaang's help, told a lie...now he has to make that lie into truth...  
> Only one problem, now he has to become a spy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning : Talks of death, spirits, moving on, and human remains

"I can't believe you lied." Azula said, giving him a look,

"I didn't lie, Kelsaang did." He told her yet again. They were staring down at a pile of clothes trying to find the perfect disguise. She was annoyed with him. "I didn't know what to say, I didn't want father to know the true reason I was there, you know how he is. "What am I supposed to say? Oh yeah I went to the temple because mother not liking Azula was getting to me? And not only that they told me that our fire's mixed and are now battling each other. Our literal souls split into two pieces and then mixed together. So unless somehow we find a way to separate you and I from each other safely we are going to have to learn balance between who we are and who the other is." Zuko felt a headache forming, he had no clue if he explained that in a way that could be understood. Azula groaned, her forehead hitting the floor, he guesses he didn't.

"ZuZu," She did not whine but it was a near thing. "Let's worry about my birthday presents and not the spiritual things. I could have sworn it was the sages duties to help us with that."

"It sounded like it was an ancient ritual that I did by accident. I doubt anyone knows what to do about it anymore. Should I go as a girl?" He asked, causing Azula to roll over and look at him. He couldn't quite pinpoint what emotion she was trying to convey, or the reason that she was studying him so he decided to just ignore it.

"YES I GET THE NEXT ADVENTURE!" Kelsaang yelled startling them before one could blink Zuko had twin daggers out and Azula had her flames. Kelsaang sank to the floor looking sheepish, "Sorry." Zuko sighed, putting his daggers away as Azula let her flames fade. He couldn't help but think that it was a really good thing that the two of them were so tense. It was always a bad idea to let your guard down if you were Fire Nation Royalty.

"Adventure?" 

"Oh only one of us can attach ourselves to Zuko whenever he leaves the palace walls. We used to play elements but somebody kept cheating *cough* Teru *cough*. So we came up with a betting system. So far the only person who hasn't won a turn has been Lyulf." 

"Why hasn't he won?" Azula asked, 

"He sucks at guessing what Zuko will do or say." Azula raised one eyebrow looking in the direction that Kelsaang was standing.

"How does one not know what Zuko is going to do or say?" She asked,

"Trust me, he's actually not as open of a book as you and your father like to think." Kelsaang said with a mischievous tilt in his voice. "You should join the bets with us. If you win you get to make the decision on who goes with Zuko when he leaves the palace."

"Ha, only because I know I will win." Zuko shook his head at their antics.

"Okay, guess what dress he's going to choose, I'll go grab the other. If you figure it out you can choose who goes with him after me." Kelsaang said before fading away. When he returned he had brought the others and everyone inspected the dresses. Zuko frowned when he noticed that there was one more spirit.

"Kelsaang, you brought someone new?" 

"Oh yeah, meet Mako, he's going to accompany you and Ahito, apparently he's really powerful so he can go everywhere!" Kelsaang exclaimed.

"I am only this powerful because I was here before the children of fire were given their gifts." 

"So you were not a bender?" Zuko asked, 

"I was not. Back then with no bending we had to appease the spirits with sacrifices rather than subdue them. It is now that I wish to move on." He turned towards Azula, "Little miss, I heard you get to burn the gift he makes, I want you to burn a gift made of what little bones of mine remain, would you be willing? I am ancient and able to reward you." 

"I am willing. It will test my fire's strength to be able to burn bone." Azula said, the man smiled, he looked truly delighted in this turn of events, 

"To be turned into something grand and then reduced to ash by one of the greatest benders of the Royal Line that has appeared, truly these centuries were worth it." He nodded and waved them on to continue. He would Lead Zuko and Ahito to what remains of his mortal body after Zuko was ready.

"Strange." Ahito said before they went back to picking out which dress Zuko will choose. He had chosen to wear a dark dried blood red (that might actually be dried blood) colored dress from the cook's assistant. 

"The one with turtle ducks." Azula said confidently and Teru nodded,

"The dark almost black brown one." Ahito said,

"Dark dried blood colored one." Kelsaang, Salina, and Kazu said.

"We need a tie breaker, Kelsaang, Salina, and Kazu chose the correct dress." Zuko said and caught Azula's shocked look, "I'm going undercover, turtleducks are too obvious. Tie breaker and chance for everyone else to redeem themselves, what name am I using. Akari, Shia, or Aya?" 

He waited as they thought, Kelsaang was bouncing in a way that betrayed his anxiousness. 

"Shia." Kelsaang and Azula said 

"No way, it's Akari that he chose!" Everyone else said, 

"No, Kelsaang and Azula were right." Zuko said, unfolding the piece of paper in his pocket and showing everyone. "I already decided after Kelsaang left to get everyone and wrote it down while Azula wasn't paying attention." 

"So Kelsaang is still going after Ahito, and I get to pick who goes next?" Azula asked and everyone answered in the affirmative. And so it was decided. Zuko grabbed the dress and subtly smelled it. He was relieved to find that it didn't smell like dried blood and so he felt infinitely better as he put the dress on and then Azula helped him to do his hair. When all was finished, Zuko barely recognized himself. His already feminine features were highlighted and made softer, his hair was tied in a peasants braid and it made him look as young as he actually was. 

"Wow ZuZu." Azula said without an ounce of mockery, so of course that's the moment their mother comes in. Zuko cursed his luck (Azula did too) and turned to face her.

"Azula...who is this?" 

'!!!!' The two shared these same thoughts at the same time, luckily Azula recovered quickly.

"Shia." Nothing else, Zuko dipped into a bow that was proper for a low born to give a princess, and said nothing, "she's mute..." Azula added. Their mother looked at Azula with disapproval,

"What did you do to make her mute?" 

"Nothing! She was born mute, see! Lift your head Shia." Zuko listened, "Open your mouth," he did, "See I did nothing, you can close your mouth now Shia." Zuko did and bowed to her. It was really hard to keep his words to himself, here his mother was accusing Azula of something that made no sense! Their mother checked over Zuko again, and again, he wondered if she noticed that he was wearing Azula's makeup, it would be hard not to tell how expensive the product is this close. 

"Azula..." His mother started to say but was cut off by their father entering. He stared for a moment and Zuko knew he was getting burned tonight. He glanced at Azula as he bowed low to their father and saw that she knew it too.

"Who is this?" His father asked, voice monotone. Zuko didn't move, still in his bow. The least he angered his father the less it will hurt...hopefully. 

"This is Shia, father. She is my new spy who will tell me who has been talking about me among the servants and guards so I can get revenge." Zuko glanced up cautiously without moving anything else, from what he could see their mother was upset but their father was pleased. It was moments like these that he was grateful for the spirits staying quiet. If he missed a single order he'd be ash. 

"What is your name, spy." His father asked and he as subtly as possible shot Azula a panicked look.

"She can't speak father. She's mute." Zuko dipped into a lower bow. 

"Useful. How did you mute this thing?" Zuko wondered why his mother stayed silent, 

"I didn't. She was born this way, a lucky thing really, it really would have been too annoying to explain the screams, and then having to wait for her to heal; not that I would have minded muting her."

"Indeed," He said, his voice still monotone, bordering on disappointed, but he left just as simply causing Azula and Zuko to sigh in relief,

"I am still upset with you young lady." Their mother grabbed Zuko's arm and dragged him out of the room. He shot Azula one more panicked look before she was out of sight. Their mother didn't let him go until they were in a room with papers and ink. "Tell me what she threatened you with." Their mother said. Zuko frowned, moving to the closest desk and writing down,

"She didn't threaten me. I chose to do this because she offered me jewelry to sell for money." He watched his mother blink in confusion. She stared at the note for a very long time and then looked into Zuko's eyes for half as long, then she raised a hand to her forehead. She didn't move for even longer after that, so long that Zuko felt his nerves take over. Before she moved he heard her mutter something like

"She's too much like me." Before she burnt the paper, turned and left. Zuko waited a few more minutes before sneaking out of the room through one of the several secret passageways. With that he set onto his quest to grab the bones of Mako. He quietly called out to Ahito and Mako and soon they joined him. 

"I hope you know your way around the passageways under the volcano young one." Mako said, 

"Not really...I haven't been able to get out of the palace to explore due to my age." 

"Well that is about to change, because that is where we are heading." He then took the lead. Ahito started to hum near him, then slowly she sang out a song about lava and volcanoes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are a lot of inspirations for this fic but the main two are Embers by Vathara, and Muffinlance's works.
> 
> I also got inspiration from the "Learning to Fly" series by starofjems 
> 
> and any fanfics where Zuko is a dragon or healer.


	4. Average Guy With a Boomerang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka was just an average guy with a boomerang...right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not Gonna Lie I'm a little worried about this chapter...
> 
> I use a name generator to name my OCs. I will try to do the Southern Water Tribe justice.
> 
> Warnings: Talks of death. Ghosts. Funeral rituals. Dead animals. Pregnancy and talks of births
> 
> I am unsure of how to warn for this chapter to be honest. There is a part where the entire Southern water tribe is taking blame for the murder of a major spirits creature (cause I always wondered why the ocean favored the fire nation. If the ocean didn't I doubt the fire nation navy could have gotten as far as it did. So I made a thing) but like yeah. So there's a dead animal/creature/ important spiritual creature in this chapter and I am unsure if I handled it correctly?
> 
> \--

The happiest day that Sokka could remember so far, was learning to throw a boomerang correctly. It became his weapon of choice since it allowed him to use his head, calculating the exact angle he needed to get his target. It wasn't easy, he failed so many times, several bumps and bruises from missing the boomerang when he was practicing alone (his father never let the boomerang hit him when he oversaw Sokka training) and over all the boomerang, to Sokka, was the best weapon. It was reliable, unlike Katara's magic water. She always got annoyed with him when he called it that but what else was he supposed to call it? (No one mentioned how Sokka's accuracy with the boomerang was unnatural.) (No one told him that Lupin and Bulenes died over eighty years ago.) (No one told him that he really really was Not just a normal guy, with a boomerang.)

The second happiest day that Sokka could remember was his tenth winter and Katara's sixth. They were born on the same winter moon, just years apart. This was the day that he was allowed to join the hunt to observe, as long as he was quiet. The other boys, slightly older than him were also going and were giddy. He watched the men hunt and loved the way the spears moved, he loved everything about it except the blood and the sound the caribou-hare made when it died. When they returned they were taught how to clean and carve the meat and he didn't like that either but it was necessary for the village to survive so he did his duties with pride. 

As he aged he learned saying certain things made people go silent, like how Lupin never ate, or Bulenes never hunted. The two would pat him on the head with sad looks, then Bulenes pulled him aside with Lupin when he was nearing his twelfth winter. His mother was recently killed by a raid.

"Sokka, we could use your help." He perked up, he loved helping people! Lupin chuckled a bit and ruffled his hair, "We need to go on a journey, to become elders for the village," Sokka frowned in confusion, he wasn't aware of that being a thing, "Because we are not originally from this village." Sokka's frown cleared as he understood and wanted to help even more. "But we need your help to..." Here Bulenes faltered. 

"We need you to grab two items... and return them to the sea. That way we may leave without guilt." Lupin continued, "We can't do it because it's part of a tradition where we come from. A designated younger, usually family, is the one to give the items to the sea." Sokka nodded looking up at the two and noting their relieved expressions. Bulenes ruffled Sokka's hair and told him where to go to dig for the parka's and weapons they hid. When he had them he was to take them to his Gran Gran and have her prepare the to be given to the sea, then he was to transport said items to the sea and ask for the sea to guide them to their destination safely. 

Sokka had to travel pretty far (Katara didn't let him go alone, she insisted on coming with), they Knew that dad and Bato were following and truthfully it relieved Sokka to know that. It took two days to get to the place and the four camped together and he was even more glad his dad came. They started to dig, his dad was very serious the other night when he told Sokka to never do this alone, to always tell him and he nodded, understanding because it was scary to be alone without his dad around, and his dad knew how to use more weapons than a boomerang (he wasn't allowed to use sharp weapons yet). Deeper and deeper they dug until they found the dark blue parka's, a bone spear, club, and...he stared for a few minutes after they pulled the bundles of cloth out, his father was cursing, Bato had grabbed Katara and him moving them away. Under the two parka's were bones that were not human.

"Bulenes and Lupin..." He said quietly, Bato was still holding them as his father calmed down. He wasn't worried because he knew Bato wasn't holding them to keep them from dad but rather from the horror in those parka's. He was young but all the stories Gran-Gran told him stuck in his head and he was intelligent. He got that either the thing inside the parka was either malicious or innocent and both spelled danger for his tribe. Had this been the reason for their suffering? He wondered idly, remembering his mothers soft smile and her soft words after his nightmares. 

"What-" Katara broke off before she started sobbing, Sokka could tell he was thinking the same thing as he was. Were Bulenes and Lupin responsible for the spirits abandoning them? She took a fortifying breath, "Was it their fault?" 

"I don't know," Bato said but Sokka was watching his dad, he spoke slowly in the language of the earth because he didn't want Sokka and Katara to know what he was saying, so Sokka Knew that yes, yes it was. "Tui and La have mercy." Bato breathed out and Katara cried more and louder.

"It's not FAIR. Mother did nothing to the spirits! Why was she taken?" Sokka asked, his dad closed his eyes, tears falling as he came over and pulled the three of them into a hug. Spirits don't understand. Sokka remembers Gran-Gran's stories after all. They don't get it, to them this is fair, to them the plights upon the South were fair because of this. "It must have been a special creature. And huge, that's only part of it." What he said was true and after they calmed down, Bato went back to the village to get the others, they were going to lay this great creature to rest.

It was a long process, the ice did not release the bones easily and they worked so hard that several men had bleeding hands. The women of the tribe took the bones into the big ritual tent they brought. They cleaned the bones as they were released from ice and the other rituals that only the women knew. He didn't mind not knowing, he knew his place in the tribe. When his hands started bleeding his dad had Bato pull him to Nelodik's tent to get his hands treated. It took them a week to collect everything. When they finished they carried the bones and items to the ocean, slowly while the women and men chanted. They passed the village and the ones who stayed behind to watch the youngest of the kids and they sent the bones, parkas, and weapons to La. Lupin and Bulenes were gone afterwards. 

After that Sokka felt himself pulling away. He hid his fear behind what he could, like his humor, and his role in the tribe. So when, after two years had passed and he ran up to his father and the other men in full warrior's attire with his boomerang and machete, he had fully set himself to join them, it was his place. His dad gently told him no, that he would be left to guard the village, and then he and Katara were watching their dad and men sail away to the war.

A month later and Sokka started to feel weird. He felt the insane urge to crawl everywhere and his senses got better. It was a slow change at first, and then one night the change hit him all at once, because he could just tell whether from scent or sound he wasn't sure, that Yano was about to give birth. This was both a good and bad thing. Good because births in the tribe were blessings, bad because right now they were fishing and she was about to go in labor with Gran-Gran still back at the village.

"We need to get back to the village." Sokka said, pulling up his net without any delay. The women were confused but listened all the same, as they neared home Sokka sent Sarra ahead to tell his Gran-Gran that Yano was about to go into labor. They almost made it back, almost. Luckily Gran-Gran arrived with a tent and the women set it up, Sokka quickly grabbed the items Gran-Gran couldn't carry and then waited outside, guarding the tent from any dangers. Katara was inside helping.

That night they celebrated a new baby, he was named Dokun. No one mentioned how weird it was that Sokka knew she was going to give birth, the only acknowledgement was Yano thanking him, and then he went off alone to think on it. The smell of blood and birth was still in his nose and he couldn't wait for it to disappear, it was a bad smell no matter how much it meant a good thing has occurred. Yano was weakened from giving birth like all women and would need fresh meat so to clear his head more he went hunting.

He went alone, he didn't always, as much as it was the man's job to hunt Sokka was only fourteen and as strong as he was he couldn't carry back enough meat for the tribe, and so the older women helped. This time he went alone. Hunting felt right in a way that he couldn't explain. It was a cycle, one that he was good at following and although he didn't believe in destiny he felt like this cycle was different. It was out here hunting that he felt the most, his senses kicked into overdrive and allowed him to thrive, the herd of caribou-hare's was easy to find no matter where they hid and he was careful, always careful to only take what the herd could afford to lose. He was Sokka of the Southern-Wolf Water Tribe and he would not, could not, destroy the herds around him like his Tribe was destroyed. After all, they are called the water tribe, to lose their water benders, the most integral and important part of their survival. He sighed, shaking his head, his thoughts really were too much. He hunted, he killed, he thanked the herd and the caribou-hare's he took down and he honored them all. He might not have been big on the spirits since they took his mother, but he also remembered sacred bones and two men who had kept such a secret. He would not ignore his duties to his tribe.


	5. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko knew he was dreaming because he was standing in the cold, the fire nation was warm. He knew he was dreaming because he was standing on white, the palace floors he was working on were a golden brown. He knew he was dreaming because he was a dragon, flying next to a wolf, to a Koi-draken.

Zuko didn't remember falling asleep because he didn't notice that he was tired. He only became aware that he had fallen asleep because he was cold, and surrounded by white and almost white blues. 

"What?" He growled out, growled because he wasn't human, growled because he was huge and had wings and a serpentine body, and there was a white wolf with ocean blue eyes staring at him in alarm, "where?" He tried again almost immediately stopping because it was not working. The wolf moved closer, drawn by instinct rather than rational thought, and nuzzled his large scaly face and suddenly something changed.

"Oh that worked." Zuko couldn't help but snort at that comment the wolf made,

"Where are we? What is this?" He lifted his paw and gestured at the white ground.

"Uh...The south? That's snow and ice, frozen water." The wolf told him and he stared at it then cautiously looked around. The south was white, white and near white-blue. Mountains of the stuff surrounded them, and then they heard a cry. It was high and mournful and dreadfully alone, very alone. They didn't talk they just took off. The wolf running on the snow while he flew beside him. They ran until ice mountains turned to ice trees and then a clearing. 

Within the clearing was a pool of water and in it was a Koi-draken. Zuko landed as softly as possible but it still made a loud thump. He completely hid the wolf from sight, a protective action that sprung from nowhere. The koi-draken made a sound of fear but the stupid wolf bounded forward and nuzzled her like he did with Zuko. 

"Scary dragon, get over here!" The wolf called out and Zuko gave a dragons version of a chuckle, and slowly made his way to the beautiful creature. She mimicked what the wolf had done and the connection between the three solidified. The high mournful sound dissipated into the air and she gave a happy hum to finally not be alone. She had been promised. 

They talked for a bit and soon it became very clear that the wolf thought this was all a normal dream, that they were figments of his subconscious. He defended himself by saying his tribe had once found bones that seemed like they would belong to the koi-draken and someone he calls Grangran tells him all sorts of stories about dragons. The Koi-draken and Zuko laugh at the wolf. The three of them rest there and talk. They tell the stories their grandparents and/or parents have told them. They don't talk about more serious topics, like who they are or if any of them had ideas on why they were there. Then the wolf had to wake up. Zuko expected to be kicked out immediately after the wolf left but he wasn't.

"Do you think this is just a dream?" The koi-draken asked.

"No, no I don't. I'll have to ask the sages about this though." She nodded. He let the silence sit for a bit before he said, "We should keep our identities a secret from each other. So if one of us is on the opposite side of the war, they won't be obligated to change sides." She nodded again agreeing with him with zero hesitation. They settled there, him next to the water and her in it, letting a peaceful silence descend into the glade. "I'm waking up." She said a little bit later, and he told her he hoped to see her again. She giggled and soon faded into moonlight. Zuko sat for a bit, content to stay right there and rest, he had had a very stressful week, from finding the four of Mako's bones, the start of the carving, and his fire bending lessons, he was worn out. Not to mention one of the malicious spirits were acting up, making Azula irritable and wanting to burn things. "Just a little bit longer..." He mumbled, closing his eyes and falling into a deeper sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having internet troubles currently, apologies for the late update and how short it is.


	6. Shia: The Mute Spy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko is starting to learn more about the court through the eyes of a servant, oh and he's pretending to be mute and his mother won't leave him alone because he's Azula's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings  
> Faking a disability (for espionage purposes)   
> death

Zuko wore "Shia's" dress. He was wandering through the halls trying to find the room he was meant to find The Missus. She will assign him his first ever job and someone to train him. Azula had him training for this last month in between his carving and day life he had been so exhausted. Now he was supposed to be at the Summer home with Azula but instead he's still in the castle as Shia. When he finally found the room he wondered what punishment he would get for being late, and put on his best "I am really scared and lost" face on. Knocking he waited until the old women answered the door and sighed, urging him inside.

"You're late girl. No excuses." Zuko nodded flinching when The Missus whirled to look at him, something in her hands. "Oh dear, I'm not going to hit you, the nobles will do that far too much." A pause Zuko remained looking down, "Speak girl!" She barked startled Zuko motioned to his throat and mouth and shook his head.

"She's mute, Missus." The guard behind Zuko said (one he didn't notice.) He jumped and spun eyes wide, "Ah, I startled you, apologies." Zuko bowed his head accepting the apology and then turned back to The Missus.

"Mute? Hmm. I shall send you to serve the nobles who want silence from those lesser than them. Borri why are you here?" She asked turning to the man, Zuko moved to the side to wait for orders and directions. 

"I have been assigned by Lady Ursa to shadow young Shia." Borri said with a small shrug, "I'm to report where she goes and who she speaks with." 

_"You're not supposed to admit things like that."_ Zuko thought to himself, wondering what game Borri was playing at. _"Why is Mother hiring someone so untrustworthy?"_

"Oh? Don't let her know you've been running your mouth." Borri shrugged at The Missus' words, 

"She never told me to be secretive about it." Zuko raised an eyebrow by accident, which Borri caught and immediately looked sheepish and away. "Alright, alright I'll keep it down, there but unseen and unheard, the whole guard and servant motto." He moved back to guard position, just in time too as a group of guards trailing three nobles passed by. They paid them no mind since even The Missus fell quiet. The nobles were loudly discussing Azula. Something about her being a monster and crazy, so normal gossip. He turned to study The Missus, she looked resigned to some kind of fate.

"Damn Nobles," Borri muttered to himself. Zuko didn't really get why he said that. They weren't causing trouble right now...unless he meant Azula but then he'd be wrong in calling her a noble...she's a royal...there's a difference. His emotions must have shown on his face because The Missus said,

"They curse a child." Zuko looked between the two, "damn girl your face is too loud, maybe I'll send you to Lord Piandao...yes that's a safe place to send you for now." From there Zuko listened to her directions and got to work.

Now he thought he knew his sword master, he really really did. But right now as he served Piandao and Lord Kito the Second Dragon, he found that he seriously did NOT know his sword master. They were talking about him as one does. He kept his face carefully neutral, his movements carefully graceful, and nearly tumbled when Lord Kito said,

"The wall cannot be allowed to fall." Zuko recovered himself and was so glad that they were too busy debating the WAR of all things and wow it really told him a lot about the servants and guards of the palace that this is so freely spoken of. Zuko carefully put the teapot down and then he brought the food out.

"Master Kito..."

"You know it's true boy. If Ba Sing Se falls then this war is won. No one will be safe." Zuko knew that wasn't true. The Northern water tribe was still alive. He felt the shift in the air as Piandao nodded. Zuko didn't linger, carefully he returned to the servant's spot and waited. He could still hear them and he risked a glance at Borri and nearly joined his explosion at what Kito said next.

"Perhaps it is time we move against the Great Dragon of The West."

"My Lords!" Borri spoke out scandalized and Zuko subtly moved out of sight. Kito hummed as if just now realizing that there was someone there.

"Guard...what was it again?" He asked dangerously and Zuko saw sadness in Piandao's eyes but that made no sense because if he actually cared he wouldn't be talking about this right here! So Zuko ducked into a servant corridor in the space between then and Borri speaking and stepped out in a black cloak and black theater mask. He was across the room in between Borri and Kito before the fire reached Borri and then he and Borri were through a tapestry using the fire as a cover. It was a rather large fire. He dragged Borri through the tunnels and then got out of the disguise, slipping back into the servants spot as Shia while he left a startled Borri behind.

As if well trained Zuko moved forward and silently cleaned up the spilt tea and then poured a new cup for them, returning to his spot. He caught an approving look in the man's eyes and Zuko resisted the urge to scoff or lose his neutral face. He gave a proper bow and then stayed back.

"Did you have to incinerate him?" Piandao asked

"Do you have a need for your heart? You are just like Kuzon."

"I take that as a compliment." The man frowned and suddenly the temperature rose and yes Piandao looked...he has a better deadpan face than Mai. Kito scoffed and finished his tea.

"You have a week to convince him to stop the siege." Then he left. Piandao sat there for a few seconds before he sighed and got up, turning to Zuko he gave a soft smile,

"I'm sorry for the loss of your friend," and then he left. Zuko went to do his other duties but nothing else of note happened the rest of the day. Finally he went and grabbed Borri who was still standing in the tunnel. He just sighed and grabbed Borri's arm dragging him to The Missus with a note that told her what happened.

"It seems Borri, that you are going off to visit your family."

"I don't have any family..." The Missus just patted his head and sent the two off after burning the note. There was no way he was hiding out in the palace so Zuko dragged him to the small home that Azula gave Shia. With an order for him to stay there Zuko set about making the little place livable.

"Send a note to Lady Ursa. Let her know what happened. Tell her to meet you here from now on, if she must." Zuko wrote out then he turned in for the night, exhausted.

He woke to his mother's voice, she was scolding Borri. Zuko silently got ready for the day since dawn was in an hour and then peaked his head out of the door, slowly he joined them. His mother was not happy to see him but that was understandable. His hair was pulled back into a braid like Ty Lee has and he found it really surprising how little he looked like himself with the subtle changes made.

"What are you doing here?" His mother questioned.

"This, it seems, is her house, my lady." Borri answered for Zuko who nodded cause it was. Azula set it up no doubt using cruelty that he would have to fix if at all possible, later. For now he had to keep his mother from upsetting Azula more by being so nosy. Also he needed to warn his uncle about Kito without his uncle figuring out it was hi- he cut his thoughts off and looked at Borri. Quickly he wrote down that Borri needed to alert General Iroh about what Lord Kito said. 

Borri nodded and explained to Zuko's mother what had happened. She eyed Zuko for a bit before relaxing and saying she would handle it. Something in her tone of voice sent off alarm bells but Zuko hid that fact. He was learning a lot about those around him that he thought he knew. After she left Zuko wrote down that he didn't trust her.

"You and me both. Tell me, what do we do now?"

"Piandao." He wrote and earned a surprised look, but then a nod as Zuko held up the black mask from the other day. Borri would need to get black clothes but other than that they were set. 

\--

It took them all day to prepare (mainly because Shia had duties) and then when Agni left the sky they cornered Piandao...politely. You don't corner a sword master without making it obvious you are friend, not foe. He listened to Borri as he explained that they didn't trust Lady Ursa to alert General Iroh about the dangers, (of course they waited until after they were away from any prying ears and eyes.) Piandao seemed honored that he was considered trustworthy by them. Zuko shrugged, it wasn't that hard to trust the man. It was a feeling...or scent? Zuko was unsure of just what it was that alerted him that Piandao could be trusted. That he doesn't want harm to come to Iroh. Whatever it was Zuko trusted it and therefore they were here, trusting Piandao. Borri had taken off the mask surprising Piandao who looked at Zuko and then back at Borri and seemed to be happily surprised. 

"Well, I already sent a warning, it is up to General Iroh to heed it or not. I told him that although I was given a week I don't trust Kito."

"Killing him is off the table isn't it?" Borri asked

"It would be suspicious." Zuko rolled his eyes, then drew their attention and pointed to himself. Piandao blinked, "You would make it seem like you were getting revenge for young Borri's supposed death?" Zuko nodded and Piandao hummed then questioned if he was able to do that. The only warning he gave Piandao was a sharp grin before he moved. One second Zuko was a helpless and mute servant the next he had a knife pressed to Piandao's shoulder. It would have been the neck but Piandao was not a sword master for nothing. Pulling back Zuko let him take the blade. It was a gift from Azula so it was of high quality.

"I heard rumors you were the young princess Azula's new servant." Zuko nodded, taking his blade back and sheathing it. Piandao studied him, "I also heard rumors that you look uncannily like her." I suggest next time you put something in your hair to lighten it Prince Zuko." Borri squeaked, looking scared as he stared at Zuko.

"I will keep that in mind, it's too late for Shia to be of light hair but later after I handle Kito I will put your advice to the test." He bowed to his master, "Does my mother know?"

"No. She is very against young Shia." Zuko nodded relieved that he wouldn't have to explain to her. He heard Borri curse softly. He seemed to debate something before he said,

"I owe you my life, so I will keep your secrets and help you from here on." Piandao then offered Borri a place to stay until he was needed again and they planned the assassination of Lord Kito. 

\--

Three days later Lord Kito was found dead in the bath (fully clothed because Zuko could deal with many things but naked old people was not one of those). From there rumors spread that a little servant girl had lost a guard who was close to her because he interrupted Kito talking to some noble. The rumors stated that the guard was burned to dust right in front of her, and the servant girl disappeared as if she never existed. Lord Piandao stayed for the rest of the week, until Prince Zuko and Princess Azula came back, after two days he left to go home. Rumors are that he left with one extra guard. 

Azula wasn't happy that Shia was forced to disappear, she had so many plans that involved a spy with Zuko's skills in stealth. (How he trained them she would never know but she did know that he was a master at stealth). She complained until Zuko brought in some berry dye and experimented with changing his hair color temporarily. Soon he learned to lighten his hair and darken it in seconds using these washable paints. From there the two started to plan again. When a disguise is needed again, the two would be prepared, Zuko was teaching her how to do so too. (And when they are caught by their mother playing with dyes and outfits well...Zuko does so love his theater scrolls).


	7. Yue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yue was sprawled out in front of the oasis pond, her hair was out of its elaborate headdress and trailed into the water, she was decidedly not having a good day.

Yue had entered the oasis about two hours ago, when she did she threw off all the unnecessary layers and took down her hair. Collapsing in front of the oasis pond haphazardly she lay on her side. She was feeling off, as if she had lost one of her most important people...as if she lost her mother. But her mother had already been dead for three years and it wasn't the anniversary yet so she wouldn't be getting the phantom pains of that week. With a soft sigh of emotional pain she rolled onto her back and felt her hair enter the water. She should be more respectful but at the moment she found that she couldn't move, the pain was crushing, felt thrice fold.

Tui and La stayed silent, seemingly unbothered by her lack of respect. The pain started to subside, and separate, and suddenly Yue Knew that it was The Forgotten Wind's blessed, Snow, who suffered the loss, just as she knew La's blessed, Mist, was sending as much soothing emotions as possible, except they were tinged with something, as if-

She shot up, Mist was in trouble, spiritual trouble! It was then that Tui reacted, as water dripped from her hair, Tui spoke through the droplets landing,

_"Peace, There is nothing you can do."_ A lull then, " _Put your panic aside, do not distract him, focus on Tempestas' child, he needs comfort and understanding."_ Sometimes the spirits were vague but more often than not they were direct and Yue was thankful for that, she pulled her emotions back and then pushed comfort onto Snow, in the back of her mind the worry lingered but as time wore on and she metaphorically held Snow and they waited like that for hours before Mist finally sent them a relieved 

"I'm alive" feeling and then encompassing them in the feeling of warm water, she almost giggled at the fact that the nicknames she came up with for them were water related, it figures. She wished she could talk to them again...She made sure none of her negative emotions were getting through the temporary link, just in case. Snow buried themselves into their puddle of safety, letting his emotions soar and Yue took on the majority of the backlash, neither her nor Mist felt any negative emotions about him diving in because from their dream they both knew that Snow didn't realize what was happening. 

Time passed and so did the day, then the night, Yue had to pull away somewhat to go do her duties after that but she made sure to stay connected to Snow as much as possible, the pain of losing a parent is crippling she didn't have their strengthened connection back then ,she had a feeling that they owed the strength to Mist even if they themselves haven't realized how much they affect the bond. They glow hot and searing like lightning when their emotions are negative or out of control but right now they are like a hearth fire and it felt nice to have their comfort.

The day passed like a normal boring day save for the surprising amount of times Mist ends up in dangerous situations. The repeat made her skin crawl as she wanted to go help them, but she couldn't so she ran interference between Mist and Snow. 

As night was nearing she felt a disturbance of spiritual energy nearby and begged exhaustion to excuse herself from dinner. Once outside of her father's view she started to sprint all the way back to the oasis where the door to the spirit world could be found. Once inside the oasis she saw a draken clawing its way out and so she didn't hesitate, she entered the pond and opened herself to Tui, feeling the rush of power and the dizzying effect that always knocked her out take over she retreated and let Tui work to reseal the rift. 

She was in the pond as the Koi-Draken again she watched from this safe distance as Tui pulled water to her command and drove the Draken back into the spirit world and then she closed and locked the door. Yue passed out into a dreamless sleep.

Opening her eyes she found that she was in the healers hut. She was alone which was good because she didn't know how she'd explain why she was passed out in the Oasis with chi depletion that should have been impossible since she cannot and never will be able to bend as a mortal, she could tell the truth but there was very little those around her believed nowadays. Even her father who dreamt a lot of things, sometimes says she is speaking folly. She wished she knew sailor curses, they would convey her feelings on the situation beautifully, alas she was stuck with knowing none.

Her father thought she was making up stories. She watched him disappear out of the door, taking with him her hope of this blowing over since now he's convinced some enemy has entered and tried to poison her. She does not know how or why he thought that since it made no sense, they were the best fortified place besides Ba Sing Se and maybe even better since the cold weather works so beautifully against Fire Nation sailors. She sighed as she sat up carefully, she should be in the moonlight so that she can recover faster. 

Outside she was alone as she sat under Tui's light, her eyes were closed and yet she saw so much. She saw the ocean stretching for miles and miles, she saw a little boy in red in a palace talking to a spirit gleefully, above him was a girl in red yelling at him. She saw a city far away from them bustling with life covered in greens and browns. She saw her cousins, in their tents and barely igloos and she felt a deep welling sadness at the fact that her people let this happen, let them end up like that. then she saw Ba Sing Se, she saw the war and she saw the death. She saw a boy of fire get swallowed by earth then a man of fire suffered the same fate, soon hundreds did too. She saw the leader of the fire laugh ridiculously in front of a writing station, she saw the men beside him glance at each other both in fear and in hope. She watched more and more and then she opened her eyes and saw one of the healers staring at her with wide eyes. She smiled softly as the glow of the moonlight faded from her hair and skin. The healer checked her chi pathways and found that they were replenished and so she was sent home. That night Yue thought about what she saw, and how she could use her gifts to help the other two.


	8. Azula

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula can't wait to see what Zuko makes with the bones from Mako.

Azula watched Zuko practice, his forms were not sloppy at all when he thought it was just himself, and yet he still doing it wrong! She saw how he flowed more and they weren't powerful attacks. He mainly focused on defense and it was in a way that she couldn't see the reason for. Sighing she stood up to go look for something fun to do but hesitated when she heard the whisper, focusing on it she drew closer to Zuko, then she heard the voice,  
"Bend lower and extend your arms out to the left, then swipe to the right, yeah like that!" The voice said, a giggle in their voice. She froze and stared, Zuko heard them? She was going to ask him about it but, "Oh she's here, La-La do you want to dance with us too?" The voice asked,  
"Don't call me that!" She exclaimed mostly out of habit. The two laughed at her but even as her face warmed she didn't feel too angry. She growled anyways and ordered the voice to teach her what they were teaching Zuko,  
"I'm Kelsaang by the way, and here we go, okay get into the beginner stance and from there you want to-" He kept talking and she followed his directions, relaxing when he told her she was too stiff. Beside her Zuko moved fluidly between the forms. She had more trouble but Zuko assured her that it was because she was just learning them. "Okay so these next few parts are new Zuko, Prancing Flamingo-mantis position as start," They moved to the position fluidly, "Now relax slightly into a crouch, jump and spin with your right foot entering the air, this should wrap the flames around you so when you land you want to force those forward by stepping with your left foot and punching out." They did so and Azula almost burned herself but she had impeccable control so she succeeded in the move. To her surprise so did Zuko, who laughed as if he discovered a new pet. She blinked, he truly seemed to love fire. When left to his own devices she had zero doubts that Zuko would be surrounded by flames. She could see him now, as the Fire Lord, the fires around him would be golden because he just gives off that energy. Shaking her head she pushed those fantasy's away. Zuko would be a terrible fire lord, their father said so.

Kelsaang taught them three new moves along with the two forms he started Azula with, then he had them start from the beginning and run through them. As they moved the fire moved like air, that along with the fact that his name is "Kelsaang" she deduced that he was an air spirit of some kind. 

"Tell me about the voice." She ordered Zuko who gave her such a soft smile filled with love that she wanted to burn him. She looked away to focus on anything else. Their father was away for the week with their mom, something about royal things needing adult attention and whatnot so she didn't Have to look for him, but she still did, never hurts to be sure. 

"Kelsaang, don't just call him "the voice"," Zuko said, "And ask him yourself." she scoffed but...she was curious,

"Fine, Kelsaang, tell me about yourself." She ordered and was rewarded by his airy laugh.

"I was eighteen when the war started and I was executed," He started and she wished she could see him, she couldn't tell if he was lying or not, "I didn't do anything to get executed except exist and I was an air bender. Spirits can't bend. Hmm I was engaged to two people. One was a La blessed Northern water bender who gave me a beautiful necklace made from braided bison fur, wood, white onyx, and jade beads, and the center pieces was an aquamarine circle engraved with the air and water symbols mixed together, the other was a desert air bender who gave me a bracelet made of braided bison fur, wood, jade, and aquamarine beads." Useless information but...those things sounded like they were very important." She and Zuko were running through the sets again as Kelsaang seemed to collect his thoughts. 

"Prince, Princess!" A servant called out interrupting them, they turned towards her as she bowed to them, "A letter from your father, Prince Ozai has come." She held it out to Azula, and she took it before sending the servant on her way. She felt a moment of trepidation as she unrolled it and read. 

"They are going to be gone for another week. Something big came up that requires more attention." She frowned, ever since Zuko visited the sages they had been leaving the palace more often. She didn't think they were connected but... She sighed to herself, here she was getting paranoid again. They started practicing again and Azula suddenly realized, 

"You're bending!" She exclaimed as he took more of her flames away. He glanced at her looking a little sheepish and she stared more. "You told father-"

"That I had trouble making my own flames, not bending flames." He held out his hand and a tiny candle light flared in it. "It's honestly not a big deal since I can just control other's flames, but it does make it difficult when no other fire is around. I debated setting a shirt that I'm wearing on fire and using that but..." He shrugged, "It's a little much don't you think?" He looked so serious that she almost felt bad for laughing. Almost, but she didn't because soon he joined her. Their laughter seemed loud to her ears but she didn't have to worry.

\--

Azula walked through the halls of the winter palace. She was alone because she sent Zuko back as Shia. She wondered how he was doing, if he was messing up like she expected him too. She turned the corner and almost smirked, she had been growing bored but four masked people stood in front of her, they unsheathed their weapons or called up fire and rushed her. She felt playful and there was no one here who reported to her father so she moved like Kelsaang taught her, defending a whole style of "nope" fighting. Of course she sprinkled in offensive fighting, these would-be assassins were not escaping. Now her mother had loud opinions about her father having her execute would be assassins but in the words of Zuko,

"As long as they attacked first, and your life would be forfeit if you didn't then I can deal with the fact that you have killed people. The moment you hurt an innocent though..." He trailed off and didn't finish since their mother had showed up and she never had the guts to ask him what he meant to say. She never wanted to think about the day that she would ultimately lose him. When one of them nearly cut her she was dragged back to the present. These assassins were actually better than all the others, her reputation must have grown. She smirked as she moved faster, more precise, each blow she gave were meant to hurt.

It took twice as long and she suffered some cuts but she wasn't burned and so she knew that she did better than Zuko would. Of course she wouldn't tell her father about this because he wouldn't care, he'd tell her to train more because she got cut, but Zuko... she already started drafting the letter she would have someone write for her as she was still learning to do so. She stared at the bodies on the ground and decided that she needed practice so she wouldn't make a fool of herself when Zuko gives her the bone gift.

Two hours later she had blue flames and a victorious smile as she left a large pile of ash behind. She was practically running to find a servant to scribe for her. She didn't even clean up.

"You!" She called out to the first guard she saw and he immediately paled, "I need a servant who can write!" She allowed herself to bounce on her feet, 

"Prince Zuko?" The guard hesitantly asked, 

"Er...yes? Yes! It's me, prince Zuko!" Internally she cringed, "I still need a servant who can write." She added the guard just hesitantly nodded and sent a nearby servant to grab someone named Cho. She bounced more in excitement, cautiously the guard asked,

"Sir, did something good happen?" She smiled wider,

"La-La has blue flames!" The guard blinked, paused, blinked slower and then fainted. She decided not to question it, when the servant and the one she assumed was Cho came they stared at the guard,

"Um..."

"Are you Cho?" she asked excitedly, the servant nodded, "Cool, and you can write?" Another nod, "Perfect, I need to write to my friend and I need your help." She said "He's fine he just fainted when I told him La-La has blue flames, oh I also hurt my writing hand..." She added, hoping that she mimicked him well enough for the servants (she never noticed how much of his interactions with people were acting). These servants were better at concealing what they felt, unlike the guard, she almost giggled. Cho followed her to Zuko's room and she had her write to Shia.

"The princesses servant?" 

"She's nice!" Azula defended, "Anyways can you write that La-La has blue fire?" Cho nodded, she seemed nervous but Azula ignored her as she penned. "What else does one say to a friend?" She asked absentmindedly as she looked around the room, it was empty except for the necessities, she wondered if he had a chest like she does. She felt Cho's gaze and so she looked over and tilted her head like she's seen Zuko do.

"Uh, You can tell her about the guard fainting?" 

"Perfect!" Azula said and she explained in great detail how the guard fainted. 

\--

When Zuko came to the Winter palace and told her about how he had to assassinate Lord Kito because he was planning on assassinating their uncle and then he had to make sure Shia disappeared she felt upset. But the rest of the time at the winter palace was spent playing with makeup and dyes. For the rest of that week she kept on trying to make Zuko tell her what he was making her but no matter how hard she tried to get him to tell her, he wouldn't tell her. He grinned at her and told her to wait until the perfect moment. Then they continued on with dress up. 

He chose when they returned to the palace to present her with two bracelets carved with ancient looking runes that Mako translated for her, they were ancient funeral rites, He also gave her an assortment of rings and small earrings made from the scraps, the precision and patience these took...giddily she took them and ignored everything but them, the fire in her left palm, and Zuko who was watching her with barely concealed excitement. She lit all of the bone jewelry up at once. Mako thanked her and she imagined him leaving like the ash of the bones. She heard her mother gasp as she lit them up, she felt her father's approval and she thought maybe her grandfather was watching too.

"Azula! How could you? Those were so beautiful and he spent so long on them!" Their mother scolded her as the ash blew in the wind but Azula couldn't look at her, She could see him! She could see Mako, she knew it was him! He smiled and touched her head, a warmth spread through her and then he was gone.

"Oh no fair." She heard Zuko whisper, she didn't care she felt fantastic, a huge wave of happiness overcame her and she knew that she would be punished but, she jumped into Zuko's arms thanking him. He didn't flail, almost like he expected it, he just chuckled softly and held her as tight as she held him. Yes her mother was right, he spent a long time making those but it was for her to burn. That was his gift to her and whatever she gave him after this could not compare. She heard the voices muttering louder and louder and then like a door slamming they silenced. Pulling back she straightened up and fixed her wrinkled clothes, clearing her throat she put her mask on and faced her punishment, her father was sneering.

"There was nothing special-" He started to say but was interrupted by a Fire Sage rushing into the courtyard and then freezing, staring at her with wide eyes, Zuko giggled, those giggles turned into full blown laughter as the other four sages caught up. 

"Prince Zuko!" The head sage yelled, before correcting himself by clearing his throat, "The ceremony..." 

"You were late." Came his simple reply, a shit eating grin on his face that immediately disappeared when their parents looked at him. "You know the timing was the most important part." He told them. They opened their mouths and then shut them, admitting that he was correct. The Fire Lord was there too, he moved forward and raised an eyebrow, the head sage stuttered out an explanation but it was one no one understood.

"What he's trying to say is that prince Zuko had Princess Azula help the first ever Fire Sage move on into the afterlife." The youngest sage said, "And we were late, and as one knows once the runes are carved you cannot wait more than two months to burn the bones." Azula knew for a fact that he didn't even wait a full day, he had carved all of the runes yesterday and throughout the night. She knew this because he told her he was carving the final touches. She felt like she was going to vibrate into the ground with the energy thrumming through her. Agni was shining on her and Zuko and it seemed like the light was only on them but that was impossible. Their grandfather was quiet for a long time,

"This did not insult Agni?" He asked,

"Of course not," The head sage said, "We made all the right offerings before hand, it's just we like to add more rites but..." He trailed off and had a silent conversation with the other sages before he said, "Agni did not seem to want us to be here." He paused, most likely searching for the words to explain. "It was something that was between Prince Zuko, Princess Azula and the first Fire Sage. As such we were erm...locked in the Fire Temple." He admitted and Azula held her breath so that she wouldn't laugh. Their Grandfather studied Azula and she unconsciously stood straighter, he then looked at Zuko who stood just like she did. 

"What exactly happened when she burnt the bones?" Their mother asked, cautious,

"She received a blessing from the First Fire Sage." The Head Sage told her, then he turned to the two of them, "In a way he gave the blessing to both of them, since Prince Zuko was the one to carve the runes. That is allowed since Prince Zuko was shown the runes of ancient rites that only I knew until a month ago." The youngest Sage stepped forward again with a bow to The Fire Lord, then he turned towards her and Zuko. 

"Please allow us to help them through unlocking the blessing." He asked, but he was mainly asking them if they wanted help, she glanced at Zuko and saw that he looked hopeful but for what she did not know, "It might become dangerous to them if they are not trained." He added,

"Their training..." Their father started to say but was silenced by a look from grandfather who then said,

"Very well." And with that they were being led away. She wondered what the blessing is and if it was useful, she looked over at Zuko and saw that he was happy so she knew that he would make their stay with the sages fun. Halfway to the temple he handed her a pair of arm bracers. They were even more beautiful than the bone jewelry. 

"You made these?" She asked looking at the black metal with blue fire etchings on them in wonder.

"Master Piandao helped." He told her, the Fire Sages were trying to pretend that they were not listening in but they were, somehow Azula couldn't find it in her heart to care. She thinks she knows what blessing Mako gave her the burning feeling deep in her soul was no longer there as far as she could tell and she didn't have to burn or hurt someone or something to make it leave. She thinks he took it with him, that dark part within her, granted she was still how she was but it was more out of choice (situational) rather than an instinctive compulsion. When Zuko finds out she thinks he will be beyond happy.

"They are beautiful. These ones I'm keeping, no matter what." She stated and the smile she got would make the future worth it. The fire Sages were quiet until the youngest spoke,

"Prince Zuko, I don't know if you recognize me…"

"I do, you helped me move Azula when I was breathing for her." She blinked and looked at the sage. He seemed unimportant with how average his robes and hat looked but there was also something about him, something she couldn't name that made him so much more than the other four.  The head sage looked green at what the young fire sage said but Zuko was smiling so everything was okay, the sages could, for now, be trusted.

"Yes I am, My name is Baara," They reached the temple doors, "And I look forward to training you for your duties to aid Agni and the spirits." The doors swung open and Azula felt like she was about to witness something amazing. She watched Zuko walk forward and the sunlight streamed in such a way that he turned into a silhouette in her sight, crowned in golden light, walking on red light, sunlight around him, embracing him, as if he was in an egg waiting to hatch. She blinked and it was gone but that image would forever be in her mind, she knew for a fact that Zuko was going to do something amazing and brilliant, just Like Lu Ten said, Zuko was bound for greatness and glory. Azula felt happiness that she would be at Zuko's side throughout this.


	9. Fighting in a Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko and Azula learn how to harness their blessings and they learn that all but Baara fear them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning gore-ish type things

Zuko sat next to Azula in front of the picture of Agni and his first children the dragons. They were meditating to unlock their blessing. He reached deep into his core as time passed and watched his inner fire move with his breaths, it was golden with lightning streaks on silver dancing through it. He studied his inner flame for a long time, it looked so pretty. Drawing out and opening his eyes he saw Azula was working through forms cold.

"What does your inner fire look like?" He asked her, 

"Like my fire." She told him, "There's some gold in it too." He got up and was about to start training too when he felt a tug on his fire. He glanced at Azula but she seemed unbothered, another tug and he told her he was going to the bathroom. He left and followed the tug. He followed a seemingly endless maze of tunnels before descending down a spiral staircase and into a vault like door. Inside was a man wearing red but Zuko immediately knew that he was a spirit. You see even though to him they seem almost normal people there was a strange blueness to their skin that set them apart from the living. He paused before going with his normal,

"Hello, Blade here," (never give out your real name to a spirit you can't trust), "Who are you? What is this place?" He asked like a proper child. The "man" turned around and Zuko had to resist the urge to flinch, it had the face of a beautiful woman on the left side and on the right its face was completely yellow with weeping wounds. A failed cleansing it seems, it was naked and he could see that it had a male body but with extra limbs, two extra fingers on the right hand, three on the left, he blanked out the private area, it had three legs and a winding tail that seemed to be like a scorpion. He waited shifting slightly due to nerves. The spirit then opened it's mouth and shrieked a long and high pitched sound. "Not friendly, got it." He backed up as fast as possible and slammed the door, the shriek died out as the door sealed when he locked it. With a jolt of shock he realized it was unlocked before.

'Mischievous spirit or murderous living?' He asked himself inspecting the lock, there was no residual glow so either it had been unlocked for a week which was unlikely, or the living had unlocked it. He bit his lip and wondered about what to do. He couldn't just go around asking if anyone knew anything about a murderous spirit in a vault but he really didn't have a choice. Making his way back to Azula he decided to start there.

"La-La," He called out when he saw her,

"Don't call me that." 

"Don't go downstairs. There is a vault door and within it is a dangerous spirit that might kill us." He told her and she stared blankly, 

"I've never met a spirit you couldn't befriend." 

"Then luck has favored you," Sage Baara stated, appearing out of a door.

"Oh, Sage Baara, do you know anything about that spirit in the vault?" Sage Baara said that he didn't and so the three went back down in the door, when Sage Baara saw the spirit he cursed and slammed the door shut, locking it again and holding his chest and head. Zuko went to ask him something but he got dizzy and before he knew it he was in the dreamscape. In it there was the very spirit that was behind the vault door.

"What the what?" The wolf asked, crouching in an attack position. 

"A forsaken." The Koi-Draken said, she looked more human, she was covered in the same lunar colored scales but her form was human and she had draping blue robes of silken like material, her white hair was down and curled as if constantly kept in braids. It flowed as if she was underwater. The wolf was very obviously enraptured by her, as was Zuko. The spirit gave a loud and rude yowl, reminding them that it exists. It had grown and was still growing larger and larger,

"It's feeding off a life source." The Koi-Draken said and he decided to call her Yue since she was a lot like the moon, and she was Tui's chosen so it worked for her even better.

"Probably Baara or me," He told her, "What do we do?" He asked her since she seemed to know what was happening, Tui was gentle and guiding, the others...not so much. 

"I would say fire but..." She was studying and he knew what she saw,

"But it's a product of a failed cleansing." He finished and she tilted her head, "By fire...uh, the fire punishment for like extra bad prisoners I think?" He coughed looking away.

"Um..." The Wolf said as he stared at the spirit, "This isn't a dream." He stated, "shit, shit, shit, guys this isn't a dream what do we-"

"Stop panicking," Zuko immediately said, pressing soothing emotions onto the wolf, "First off did you pass out anywhere dangerous?"

"Uh...yes? Why am I a wolf if this isn't a dream?"

"Because you are a wolf." Yue stated, "You may not be able to access that form right now, but you can, soon." 

"So uh, the spirit?" Zuko huffed out a small chuckle, the compartmentalization of the wolf was amazing, Yue told them to focus on their chi earning a blank stare from the now humanoid but still slightly more hairy than normal wolf. Instead of white his hair was grey, his eyes a steel blue. His hair whipped around as if wind was blowing through it. Zuko did as she told the wolf How to focus on his chi, the shift of the dreamscape was immediate, it grew colder and the air started to shift where before it was a dead zone. 

"We are in the in-between, a space that is not the spirit world but also not our world; so we can bend here." 

"I'm not a bender." The wolf said with a frown on his face,

"No but you are a blessed, here in the in-between the blessed whether benders or not in the waking world can bend the element of the spirit that blessed them." She looked directly at Zuko who Knew that he could bend two elements in this space, a fact that terrified him. He took a breath and shifted into his own humanoid form. The elements whispered around them, the ice creaked, and the wolf stared at them with wide eyes, before he could say anything the spirit attacked spewing a disgusting liquid that Zuko immediately started to call it unclean water and leave it at that. They talked while they fought, Yue taught Zuko how to bend water. He used fire exactly once before the wolf respectively asked him not to, his emotions fluctuated so badly that Zuko made an absolute effort to keep any and all fire away from him since of course the spirit used fire. 

The wolf could bend air and water, no one could give him tips on the air bending so they all stuck with water. Under Yue's directions they fought the spirit with ice daggers, waves, Zuko saw that the wolf favored a curved weapon that rebound back towards them, he never missed with it. He would have to ask Kelsaang what nickname to use for him, or Lyulf. Since he was distracted the sprit hit him head on with the fire, Zuko absorbed it like he would sunlight and felt a thrum through his body.

"What did I just do?" He asked Yue, who paused, 

"Do that again and store the fire, return it to the person being drained." She ordered him and he nodded, he was really glad that one of them knew what to do. He did as he was told, every stream of fire he absorbed until she told him to stop, stating that the spirit had used up all the stolen energy. It was then that they finally got their attacks through. Yue knocked it down with a wave and The wolf did something that surprised them, he blew out onto the water and the thing froze solid, a final spear of ice shattered the spirit into pieces.

The scenery started to fade and then Zuko woke up, the stolen power thrumming through him, looking over he saw Azula out cold next to him, Baara looked panicked but Zuko moved without thinking, slowly he transferred the energy back to her. While doing this he saw what she meant by her inner flame, the gold lightning flared more as he worked but as he pulled away it started to fade until her fire was the same as she described it. He waited tensely as she woke, then he engulfed her into a hug, one that she was too tired to resist.

"It should be gone or weakened." He told sage Baara who looked as if he was praying. Opening the door he glanced in and then shut it gently, turning he nodded at Zuko and so Zuko Knew that the spirit was gone, finally he let go, this time when he passed out he didn't dream.


	10. Sokka gains a scar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka didn't know how to explain to Katara how he knew how to waterbend...so he didn't...and then he caught on fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Minor character death, graphic descriptions of the aftermath, major injuries

Sokka woke up to a panicking family, he looked at Katara and was determined to teach her what he learned in the dream...the only problem was the fact that he couldn't very well tell her what he was doing, so he had to get creative. For now though he had to find some reason as to why he passed out. He couldn't very well tell them that he was dragged in-between the worlds to fight an internal-liquid spewing and fire bending spirit with a Koi-Draken and a dragon who was exactly as ethereal looking as the koi-draken. With his long flowing black hair, golden eyes with deep sea colored pupils, black scaled skin and the silky looking cloth that draped around him. In fact they were all garbed in silken like clothes. 

"I'm okay, I just haven't been sleeping...since..." He trailed off, shivering as he remembered his mothers body. He expected it to be charred like many others so that wasn't shocking, what was shocking was the fact that he could see her blue eyes open wide in fear and pain. Even now he remembered that look, the glassy effect couldn't diminish the pain he saw. He was dragged from his thought by a warm soothing feeling and he knew it came from the dragon, the fire and water bending dragon. The feeling made him think of the hugs he used to get from Bato, they held caution within them, a feeling that he might be rejected. Sokka didn't reject the Dragon though, he accepted the warmth, selfishly. 

"Sokka..." Katara said softly, she understood even as her panic gave way to deep worry. He couldn't shrug her worry off either, since there was a very big and dangerous thing happening t o him.

"I know." He stated simply, their father looked pained beyond belief, more pained than when their mother died. He didn't know what else to say and so he didn't say anything. Their father was leaving tomorrow, now all chances to go with him were lost. He looked to the sky and wondered if it had to do with the fact that he felt like he was waiting for the dragon to come and get him? Ever since he first met him, he knew, it was Fire that would drag him from home but...he looked at the warriors and felt the urge to jump up and join in, he was meant to be a warrior.

\--

A year later Sokka justified teaching the women of the village to fight by saying the kids were far too young, since of the lids that were not Katara and him the eldest was eight. It wasn't even that hard to convince the women to learn to fight. Gran-Gran seemed happier too. He felt relief at how quickly they picked up the katas, and how seamlessly it transferred into using weapons like the clubs they have. They shifted like tides and their weapons followed the movement. It was relaxing to have clarification that these moves were useful in the waking world as they were in the dreams. Sokka then had Katara try to use them to bend, stating that it would be better to have footwork that helped her bend then it would be to enter with none. As she practiced he was rewarded with the fact that his dreams were real, not a very good reward because now he has more to fear when he lays to sleep. 

Sokka hated being dragged into fights against fire spirits, he wondered just who the Dragon was because it had to be him who kept getting attacked by fire spirits. Right now there was a group of gigantic spiders that were cloaked in flames and spit magma. He blinked away the look in his mothers dead eyes, and tried to completely focus on the spiders. 

"Wolf where is your mind?!" The dragon shouted and Sokka was spacing and thinking that since they were calling each other nicknames he thought a perfect one for the dragon would be Storm. The Koi-Draken is definitely called Beauty. He barely dodged the spit attack.

"DAMNIT WOLF!" Storm roared as another shot hit far too close, he felt hairs burn and heard a scream that didn't belong to Storm or Beauty. Suddenly a large mass was blocking the attacks and beauty was healing him with her water magic. Sokka wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with him but he knew that he was Not okay,

"WAKE UP!" Storm shouted and Sokka gasped awake screaming as the fire transferred into the waking world and he thanked every spirit he could think of that he was close enough to the fire to justify his sleeping bag catching fire randomly. Katara doused him and the hearth with water but Sokka couldn't be upset considering that he Needed to get back to sleep but the burn on his side hurt far too much. 

"Sokka! What happened!" Katara cried out and jumped into his arms bringing attention to his now burnt side. He couldn't say the truth and their dad was panicking and Sokka couldn't even begin to get his thoughts in order, part of him was still with Beauty and Storm, watching as the spiders overcame Storm and then he was fully back in the dreamscape and moving, a silver-grey veil of color and then there were ice spikes through the spiders and Storm staring at him with wide eyes. Every ounce of the area was bathed in cold and then he was engulfed in warm water, 

"Fuck, Wolf wake up!" He was told and he wondered why Storm looked so freaked, Beauty was telling him to wake up too. Sokka couldn't ignore both of them at the same time and so he did. He woke up to his Gran-Gran treating his burn and looking at him with eyes that said that she knew. He breathed slowly as she applied medicines to his wounds. 

"You rolled into the fire, or so Katara thinks, what actually happened?" 

"I have dreams and in those dreams I fight spirits with a Koi-Draken and a dragon." She watched him for a minute before nodding and accepting that. 

"Then I need to teach you about the spirits and the ceremonies." He felt like something was happening, something was shifting completely and a destiny was being cemented into place. His life just became complicated beyond belief, whatever happened to Storm to make all those attacks on him was happening to Sokka he just knew it.

"One condition, we first make sure whatever gates to the spirit world that open due to my growing stronger cannot destroy the village." She smiled and replied,

"First lessons are rituals to appease the great spirits, they will then protect us." Sokka knew he should point out that they needed to appease the lesser and more malicious spirits but he was tired and so he drifted into a dreamless sleep.

It took several months for him to heal completely and in that time he had grown so stir crazy that he let Beauty and Storm talk him into sewing, a thing he had always said was a women's job. He was passable at it, could mend clothes if he had to but it wouldn't look pretty. Another thing he learned were the words for the rituals and the rituals themselves, as he learned a deep feeling inside of him screamed that he needed another to help him, someone to call the water forward, to send it back, and so he talked GranGran into teaching Katara. He had never been hugged so hard in his life. As time passed he and Katara grew closer closing the rift that had opened between them after their mothers death, and one night, under a full moon, Sokka looked over the South pole on that night, one that showed he had a future dipped in destiny and boiled under Fate's careful eye, he had to stay in the south for now because he knew that a huge hole was about to open, that something huge was going to tear its way through and leave destruction in it's wake and path. Until then Sokka would perform the rituals to appease the great spirits of water, air, and fire, even one of the earth, and he would fight spirits in his dreams with the other two. 

In the morning he heard Katara telling GranGran that the avatar was still out there, he wanted to scoff at that. Why hope for someone who has been sitting on the sidelines for the last one hundred years? Why hope for someone who is missing as if the old men of the world and powerful benders couldn't win the war if they just Stopped hoping for a savior? He kept his silence though, Katara had little hope and what she could hang onto he would defend with everything in him because Katara deserved better. He watched her grow up, take on more of mother's responsibilities and thrive, but he also heard her cry herself to sleep, watched her struggle with a language of the body that no one could teach her because they were all gone and finally he stepped up, their father had left them behind, their mother was dead and Sokka? Sokka was the oldest, he could forget about which jobs belonged to who until the war ended and the men came home. He stepped outside under the waning moon and said,

"You're stepping wrong." She whirled around and glared at him,

"And how would you know?" She snarled, and he raised his hands

"Peace Katara, I'll explain but only after you follow my instructions." She wasn't happy with that but he wouldn't budge and so she relented, "The way of the Southern bending style has been lost, yes. But I and two others mixed a bunch of bending stances together, and we came up with this."

"Two others? Sokka there are no other benders but me!" 

"In the South Pole, there isn't anyone else but you, now be quiet and copy my movements. I told you I would explain after you listen." And he started the first position that allowed ease of flow, a Northern start and then he moved and imagined the dreamscape and the water moving with him. He made a total of five moves, the result would be a ball of water that moves like a boomerang and it took a few tries to get down completely, that last move is essential. And as he expected it took Katara two tries before he was soaked with the water. She gave him a small smile,

"Why am I not surprised that your water bending moves mimic a boomerang." He laughed and then showed her the next move. Four stances for this one and it makes a long whip, the next was ice dagger barrage, Ice spear, Lance thrust, and Storm's favorite Choking Mist turn ice rain. He made sure Katara built him a shielded area for that last one.

When they were huddled around the fire and warming up Sokka told her about his dreams, how Beauty the Koi-Draken and Storm the dragon helped him learn and how they taught Storm of the world.

"He's an ashmaker!" She accused and he waited for her to calm down before leveling her with a serious look, one he Knew he saw on their mother when she warned them about holes in the ice and Katara sat down with wide eyes.

"You blame an entire people for our mother's death and so you want to drag them all into La's depths and drown them over and over because nothing can make that thing inside of you disappear but you think taking as many ashmakers out will lessen it." He could see it, the rage bursting through her heart, "But Storm may be a fire bender, but he is Not an ashmaker." She opened her mouth, "No Katara, Fire benders are not all Ashmakers, its like our polar pups, not all polar pups are polar dogs when they age, even if all polar beardogs are at their beginning polar pups." Katara closed her mouth and frowned. "It won't help, I know, I know that you twist with emotions deep within you and you Know what you Know but trust me Katara death won't make that ugly thing in you lessen or go away, especially if you pin this on the fire benders who didn't do it. Ashmakers and Fire benders are different things in my head because of Storm, the fucking dragon is sometimes so stupidly naïve that I wonder just what they are teaching them." She was now giving him a weird look and he remembered something, Storm did it, he dragged his little sister in...so why couldn't Sokka?

"Sokka? You just did the “I have a plan” face." He grinned at her,

"How would you like to learn dream water bending in a dream?" She frowned but agreed to try it so that night when they went to bed they held hands and he willed for her to be carried to the dreamscape. There she was a grey wolf. Storm and Beauty were already there, humanoid and Katara gasped at them. 

"why do I have grey hair?" She asked when they shifted and Sokka laughed but stopped when Katara was looking at him with misty eyes,

"Uh Ka-" He cut himself off and Katara shook her head, 

"It's nothing, so these are Storm and Beauty? Which one is which because they are both beautiful." All three of them blushed,

"Um-well-Beauty is of course the silver haired one-and Storm is the other..." He said awkwardly and Katara nodded,

"What do you guys call him?" 

"I call him Snow,"

"I usually call him wolf...but Snow is better." Storm said rubbing a piece of his hair, a nervous tick. Katara smiled,

"Then call me Icicle" They nodded and Sokka finally explained why he brought Katara,

"She's the last bender from where we are from, and I told her I learned the forms in my dreams." 

"Oh that's horrible! To be without a teacher I couldn't imagine the frustration!" Beauty said and Storm tilted his head, a frown on his face. Sokka was really hoping he was right about Storm not being an ashmaker.

"You two look so different." He said and Sokka snorted,

"So did you and Azure," he nodded, the look leaving his face to reveal an excited one. They got to training,

"I love bending here!" He exclaimed at one point, he was still focusing on water bending and he never pushed Sokka to get used to fire bending and it really worried Sokka. "You guys don't whip me when I mess up." He gave Katara a very pointed 

"Say nothing." Look which thankfully she took to heart.

"Storm you really shouldn't be okay with that, with being whipped."

"But It's my fault..." And Sokka felt that ugly thing in him squirm but Beauty took Storm's face in her hands softly and said,

"It is not your fault." He opened his mouth to protest but she shook her head, Sokka looked over at Katara who had a pensive look. "It is not. It is their fault for being horrible teachers, you have picked up on more bending with us then you seemingly have out there."

"That's because moving here is comfortable, the forms work with my body and aren't as rigid as the ones I have to learn. I'd show you but..." He vaguely motioned, they had earlier stated to keep where they are from to make sure they don't change sides just because of their friendship. Sokka had a feeling that it was just Safer for Storm's mind to actively deny the truth. 

"I get not showing us but Mist, You cannot blame yourself for their mistakes. I know you hold power where you are from and I know your teachers are below your rank and given a power over you and they are taking all of their rage at the ones who came before you onto you because it's easy. It's easy and it's wrong." And wow that also hit Sokka's words to Katara home.

"Well speaking of teachers and learning," Sokka said with a grin, this was their safe spot but they don't know Katara and he knows that they forgot she was here, "Katara really needs to learn." And from there they taught her all the moves they created and some of the northern style. He could show her here, how the water is supposed to move and the night passed by quickly. Waking up was always a sad thing after he dreamt with the other two. That day Katara rushed from the tent and tried the moves in the waking world and collapsed in laughter and tears as the moves worked. 

He let her have her moment, keeping the younger children from bothering her and explaining to GranGran why she was acting the way she was. GranGran watched as Katara broke the ice and reformed it, sending globes of water hurtling at a wall of ice she created and over all played with the magic water. Of course she made mistakes, no one becomes a master overnight but she had more control than before. Not perfect control mind you but good enough for now. Sokka wished he had shown her the dreamscape sooner. She practiced the movements, the basics every day now and the women of the tribe mastered the weapons and the forms too. GranGran seemed happier the more he taught the women chores and duties that the men once did and he soon learned from listening in on GranGran and Katara talking that GranGran left the North because of how they viewed women. Sokka frowned and asked Beauty about it that night since Storm wasn't there.

"Yes...the women here are seen as delicate and unhelpful in the ways of governing." Sokka wondered how that worked, he couldn't imagine deciding things without GranGran and Katara's input, he really couldn't. He told Beauty this much and she gave him a sad smile. "For all that the North has done to the South by staying out of the war, at least in this, the south has beaten us." He tilted his head at her and she seemed so sad right now and of course that's when Storm came in. He paused for a second, reading the situation and sighed,

"I committed treason last night." He told them plainly and they looked up startled, "Yue...There's a ship heading for the north, Azure, A fire bender named Teruko, and I are on it and so are all of the surviving Southern water benders. They were, there is, gods it's bad and Teruko...and it's bad. We need healers, a lot of them, it's really." And he was sobbing and Sokka was right there holding him and looking at Beauty with wide scared eyes. Storm was really- he blinked out, probably jolting awake and so did Yue and Sokka, the iceberg had cracked and now destiny was on them. Sokka felt numb as he struggled out of his sleeping bag and ran to the tower where he could see over the water and out, it was too soon to leave, he was stuck here but Storm was moving and Storm was in trouble. He could still feel where storm sobbed on his shoulder,

"It's bad" and "I committed treason" replayed in his head. He didn't know how long he stood there, just staring out at the sea. All he knew is that Katara soon joined him,

"I want to go." He told her,

"Then go." 

"I can't I have to stay here, there's going to be a tear I can feel it. I want to go but I have to- I Need to stay here." He looked at her, "Storm committed treason, our southern benders, the survivors are headed to the North pole as we speak." She whirled towards him and he saw the tentative hope he couldn't let himself feel. "Katara-" and then he collapsed he heard her scream his name but he was already miles away. In spirit form he watched the storm overtake the really old looking fire navy ship and sighed in annoyance. Dipping down he asked a scared and angry looking kid,

"Where is this?" He didn't expect the kid to be able to see him, much less react but react he did,

"Snow?!" He shouted and Sokka suddenly felt oh so old.

"Oh great, you know since you already committed treason, you should water bend." He stated, "I heard stories from the South's ancient days where one water bender could see a ship safely through a storm." Storm bit his lip, looked over to a weary looking man trying his best but years of no bending left him rusty. Storm watched his movements and then copied them and the old man startled as control of the waves was taken. Storm alone stood in the middle of the ship, the water answering his call. Sokka knew he was there for another reason though. Electricity crackled through the air.

"That's not good." He heard someone mutter,

"Hey Storm, remember that lightning spirit and how you defeated it?" A flash of worry and then determination settled on Storm's face. Sokka took up bending the waves, he couldn't stay here for much longer, but he wasn't needed for much longer. The lightning arched out of the clouds and directly for Storm, Storm caught it in one hand and let it flow through him, taking energy from it and letting the extra energy arch off into the sky from his other hand. Figuring it out was on the fly oh I just got hit with lightning and I lucked out kind of figured out. All who saw muttered prayers to the great spirits, offered thanks and begged for more aid. Storm took a look at him and commanded,

"Go back Now," Sokka gave him a cheeky grin and waved as he felt himself return to his body. Katara was raging at the world ranting about stupidity and whatnot.

"Love you too, sis." Sokka said sleepily and smiled when she whirled on him and started to lecture him on how it was not okay to just pass out like that. He held her as she fell into his arms and sobbed, their mother and father were gone but that was okay because Sokka knew that out there they had water benders again and a dragon who betrayed his own people to save them. He wondered what made him do that, as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


End file.
